"It's not for us. It's for my sister's children and their children, so that they won't have the same 'nothing' to choose from. Ward is a member of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN), a group of more than 200 families in 18 countries who carry gene mutations that cause symptoms to appear in middle age, or even earlier."
"The network that's been built up, the years that have gone into the training and the relationships without funding, all of that would fall apart. These families carry one of three different gene mutations that can cause Alzheimer's symptoms to appear in a person's 40s or 50s, making them highly valued participants in Alzheimer's research studies."
The Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) comprises over 200 families across 18 countries carrying rare gene mutations that cause Alzheimer's symptoms in middle age. Members like June Ward participate in research despite knowing they will likely develop the disease, motivated by protecting future generations. DIAN, operated by WashU Medicine, has enabled key scientific discoveries about Alzheimer's onset and potential drug treatments over two decades. However, the network faces an uncertain future due to federal funding cuts and delays from the National Institutes of Health. Without continued funding, the established infrastructure, training, and relationships built over years would collapse, threatening ongoing research progress.
#alzheimers-research #genetic-mutations #clinical-trials #federal-funding #neurodegenerative-disease
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]